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Utahn Life

If there is such a thing.

For those of you still in Utah, what is it like? Are most of your friends still Mormon? Do missionaries come to your door? Does the culture still bother you, or are you coping happily? Planning to leave, or have already left?

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Permalink Reply by Brian on August 9, 2009 at 10:47am

I live in Utah and missionaries never come to my door, none of my friends are mormon, the culture doesn't bother me because I rarely see it. When I do notice the mormon culture I think it's pretty amusing actually. The only thing that really bothers me about Utah is some, not all, of the absolutely crazy mormon legislature people. Holy shit Senator butters has fucking lost his damn mind and the crazy people of South Jordan continue to elect him!
I've lived all over the country and in Germany and Utah isn't really any different than anywhere else I think. Except for Utah County. Fuck that place. Utah County really is like what the rest of the world thinks Utah is like.
The fundies of the south have always been way more obnoxious I thought when I lived in Georgia. I couldn't go a day without getting harassed about jesus in the south. Fuck Georgia, Alabama, and Texas.

Permalink Reply by Jezzy on August 12, 2009 at 4:34am

Heh. I live in Utah County.

Senator Butters is insane.

"I believe they [homosexuals] will destroy the foundation of the American society. In my mind, it’s the beginning of the end. … Sodom and Gomorrah was localized. This is worldwide."

-Buttars

"And as a man I have the duty to see to it that human society does not suffer the same catastrophic collapse as did the civilization of the ancient world some two thousand years ago - a civilization which was driven to its ruin through this same Jewish people."

-Hitler

Is it just me or are Hitler and Butters using the exact same example to propagate their intolerance?

Permalink Reply by Aaron S. (USA) on August 9, 2009 at 11:35am

I'm born and raised here so I don't really know how to compare it to any other place. This is the only place I've lived :P My parents are fundies (i.e. polygamists) and when you leave the group, generally you leave your friends etc. too. I haven't been able to find any other atheists my age, either, so for now all my friends are online.

Like the previous poster said, I don't come into contact with Mormon culture much. There are a few blue laws, like no alcohol served on Sunday mornings, but I don't drink, anyway. I don't have a car so I usually walk places. A couple times I've been stopped by missionaries. One time I debated them - it was a little funny, first what I assume was the junior member started talking, then once they realized I wasn't uneducated on the issues, the other one stepped in and handled the rest of the debate. He'd make a point, then I'd debunk it (usually; at one point he said he "didn't believe" in DNA, and I didn't bother to touch that). Eventually it all came down to the "well, you gotta have faith" thing and I just said I didn't see any reason to have faith in Mormonism as opposed to anything else. The second time some missionaries approached me I just told them I was in a hurry and they left me alone.

I don't have any plans to leave any time soon. I'd certainly like to spend some time abroad, just to gain some perspective, but I fully intend to come back to SLC to settle down, whenever I'm done "exploring".

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on August 10, 2009 at 8:06pm

I barely live on the border and can't say I've spent much quality time in Utah. But to bring in one positive; Man those Mormons take care of their little towns! Seriously, I take a motorcycle ride through the back highways and I have never in my life seen such clean run-down little towns, if that makes sense. These folks never tear down a building, they just keep renovating the crap out of it with whatever they have on hand.

I imagine they would at least make for quiet neighbors.

Permalink Reply by Aaron S. (USA) on August 10, 2009 at 8:16pm

I've heard from before that Mormons are really good neighbors to have. I've always been a little mystified by it myself, lol. I'm not saying the ones we have here in SLC are bad, but some are good, some... not so good :P just like any other religious group, I assume.

I wish the Mormons across the street were quiet -.- has some kind of vehicle without a muffler installed, and he races it up and down the street at midnight all the time. The ones next door (both sides) however, have been very good neighbors.

Permalink Reply by Remy on July 28, 2010 at 10:05am

HA! I had a neighbor like that. Being Mormon doesn't require social grace, that's for sure.

Permalink Reply by Jezzy on July 28, 2010 at 10:26am

No, no it does not. That's why I grew to fear the sound of a car behind me as I walked home from school. RUN BEFORE THEY TRAP YOU!!!!

Permalink Reply by Remy on July 28, 2010 at 12:33pm

I know how you feel, I didn't grow up around Mormons, but when I was 18 I lived in a neighborhood with a ton of young people. When my friends and I would walk down the street at night we would often hear cars creeping along behind us. Right when we'd think we were about to get murdered we'd hear "HEY! WHAT DID YOU SCORE ON YOUR SATs?". Military recruiters.

Permalink Reply by Jezzy on July 28, 2010 at 1:07pm

Eeep. How do people not realize that's creepy?

Like when you're jogging and a car passes but apparently they're worried you'll randomly jump in front of their car, so they go by about 1.5 miles per hour in their scary van, filled with either girlscouts or kidnappers, and you want to run into the bushes so that you do not get the latter.

Permalink Reply by Remy on July 31, 2010 at 7:36am

It's nice when it's kidnappers AND girlscouts. They've already abducted everyone they can so there is no room left for you.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Benko on August 15, 2009 at 12:38pm

I moved to Salt Lake City a little over a year ago (I finished with my PhD, and we moved here for my wife to start her PhD at University of Utah).

Utah is the ninth state in which I have lived for more than one year in my adult life.
I have noticed a significant difference between Salt Lake City, Utah and the other eight cities/states in which I have lived, and I really don't like it.

I perceive the Mormons as condescending, elitist, and... smug...
At least that has been my experience. Part of this may be because I am clearly and obviously not a Mormon to even the casual observer.

Blah!

We are leaving Salt Lake City and Utah as soon as my wife gets her hood (PhD).
You'll know when we leave because you'll be able to hear the sonic boom of our departure.
It's still too far in the future to start a legitimate countdown, though.

Permalink Reply by Jo Jerome on August 15, 2009 at 1:18pm

LOL! This is why I hold fast to my standard "do you think you'll go to heaven or hell" question when I answer, "I believe when I die I will go to Utah."

Whether that is heaven or hell depends on which part of Utah. At the moment, I'm in one of the heavenly bits at Glen Canyon/Lake Powell. If you ever need a break, swing on through.